Q:

My godmom has five grown up children and often reminds me that ALL of them were drinking out of glasses (real glasses -- not even plastic ones) by the time they were one years old. My kid is still doing bottles and some sippy cup action. What's the best way to teach a child to drink out of a cup and are sippy cups a bad long term idea?

A:

There is some controversy about sippy cups and whether or not they are connected to speech impairments and jaw development.  Drinking from a regular cup is advocated by those who take this perspective and long-term sippy cup use is not generally recommended.  Transitioning can take time, but you can start with lightweight, unbreakable cups to get started (make sure your cups are non-toxic and BPA free).  As there are likely to be more than a few mishaps along the way, water is probably your best choice during the transition period.  Assist your child and also model cup-drinking for him or her.  Kids love to mimic what we do and they will get the hang of it before too long.  Just be consistent so that they have lots of practice!